The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1887-08-04
A CURIOUS CASE.
An Interesting story from a
Lawyers Diary.

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During the last week of September,
1870 young man, giving his name
as Charles Brackett called upon me
in great trouble. He asked me IL
had a private room. l arose at once
led the way to my consultation closet,
closed the door and turned the key in
the lock. ] pointed him to the sofa,
taking my own seat at the table.
Now" said l. what is it, young
,nanpn
lie started aud caught his breath;
S md as he began to speak. / made up
my mind that let. the case be what it
would, he was not guilty party. He
was too fearful, too broken-spirited
and unhappy, for criminal. The
case, as he presented it was as fol-
lows:
He was employed as book-keeper.
and at times acted as cashier, in the
wholesale establishment of Arnold,
Merriam & Co. For a considerable
time money had been missing from
the funds of the firm, and at length
suspicion had fallen upon himself
Said he:
Il am situated peculiarly, My moth
CT is an invalid; and [ have two sis
ters--youug ladies, We four live TO-
gether. My father died when / was
only twelve. One of my sisters has
TO remain at home to take care of the
house and to take care of motherS the
other--two years younger than my
self-gives music lessons when she can
get pupils. Our little house our father
left, with a mortgage on it of fifteen
hundred dollars, which has remained
ever since, until little more than four
weeks ago. when wo paid itoff y
There he stopped, hesitated, and
chokea.
How did you raise the money for
that9" Iasked, quietly.
Must tell you, sirpi he returned,
inploringly.
do you Want me to defend youp"
Eyes, sir'' he answered. quickly.
II was sent to you by-by man who
said you would help me.
..Ihon,n / told him, 'wou had bet
ter trust me. If you do not"
There he interrupted me by asking
Il would keep it secret. | told him
he must trust me fully. ! would do
what was best; and of that he must
leave me to judge. And after little
further hesitation he told me.
A young gentleman. whose parents
were wealthy, and who was himself
well-off. had loved the music teaching
sister, Bella, long time; and they
were to be married during the coming
fall. and go at once to Europe. The
young man was very anxious that his
parents should not know. as they had
other plans for mis- future. He
BeIla's afiianeed-had furnished the
money for paying off the mortgage.
and, also, for repairing the house; and
he had made them all promise not to
speak his name in connection with 1t.
| suspected at once who the man
was. He was a member of the same
club with myself, and several of us
had felt sure that he contemplated
matrimony, sub rosa. So ! looked at
my visitor smilingly. and said:
1T is Albert Christopher"
WHO told you?' he cried, in Won
der.
Never mind" said i, 80 long as
you did not And Christopher sent
you to me?7
Eyes. sir"
can right Now go on and tell me
what has been done"
1t appeared, from his further story,
that Mr.. Merriam had for several
weeks suspected him, and when it had
become known that the mortgage had
been paid of, and when Bracket
would not tell where the money had
come from, but instead thereof trem-
bled and turned pale, then the sus-
picions became confirmed, or very
nearly so.
Two weeks ago" the young man
went on, '.Mr. Merriam gave me q
package containing five hundred dol
lars, and told me to carry it into
Winthrop Sturgis' counting-room, and
ask them to forward it to Colonel Wal.
ter Pennington, at Joliet, Ill. Colone
Pennington was in business there -ir
Joliet-and corresponded with botf
our houses. We had wool of him
Perhaps you know, sir, Sturgis is il
the same line that we are in Well
Sturgis had told our folks that he wai
going to make remittance to tn,
Colonel, and offered to take the sun
they wished to forward and cover il il
his check.
II carried the money to Sturgis
place. and in the counting-room foun,
only his head book-keepei, Damon
Wadleigh. at his desk. 1t was some
where between one and two o'clock.
gave the money to Wadleigh. and hi
opened the package--it was sealed
and counted it-just five hundred dol
lars. He asked me If wanted a re
oeipt. ! told him he had better Civ
me line. Just TO show that it had beef
received in that house. He wrote
simple Acknowledgements Of the feeep
ton Of the amount took it and RAJ
the blotter over it; then folded II Vi
and put II into my vest pocket am
went to my dinner. Before returning
10 the store-the weather had grow
cooler than 10 was In the mornipg-